文化摩擦

• 摩擦 [まさつ] /friction (vs)/rubbing/rubdown/chafe/
• 感覚 [かんかく] /sense/sensation/
• 抵抗 [ていこう] /electrical resistance/resistance (vs)/opposition/
• 欧米人 [おうべいじん] /Westerner/
• 違和感 [いわかん] /malaise/incompatibility/
• 意見 [いけん] /opinion/view/
• 隅々 [すみずみ] /every nook & corner/
• 結構 [けっこう] /splendid/nice/well enough/tolerably/wonderful/delicious/sweet/
• 振舞う [ふるまう] /to behave (vi)/to conduct oneself/to entertain (vt)/
• 顔立ち [かおだち] /looks/features/
• 愈々 [いよいよ] /more and more/all the more/increasingly/at last/beyond doubt/increasingly/
• 亭主 [ていしゅ] /master/host/landlord/innkeeper/husband/
• 親しむ [したしむ] /to be intimate with/to befriend/
• 旦那 [だんな] /master/husband/
• 侮辱 [ぶじょく] /insult/contempt/slight/
• 人格 [じんかく] /personality/character/individuality/
• 意思 [いし] /intention/purpose/
• イライラ /to piss off/make mad/
• 家内 [かない] /wife (hum)/
• 自宅 [じたく] /one's home/
• 招待状 [しょうたいじょう] /written invitation/
• 拙宅 [せったく] /one's house, humble/
• 貢献 [こうけん] /contribution (vs)/services/
• Summary:
  • When you were married to a German, wasn't there any resistance?
  • I studied Europe and European music, and more or less became very used to the lifestyle. From a young age I didn't think I would have any incompatibilities even if I did marry a Westerner. Those cam after the we got married. Really when we actually tried to live as a family together, various different things different (became problems.)
  • That is because it wasn't just a shallow love though, right?
  • Yes. When you date a Western friend of yours from school, a twenty year old Japanese person will not have a feeling of incompatibility. It is because it isn't a love that reaches to every nook and corner. Japanese also really act internationally.
  • "On the surface" at least.
  • I have this handsome Italian-looking Japanese male friend. He married this Italian woman and they returned to Japan. But he made requests of her, for example like "Yo! Tea!" (Er, well, in a more direct very unembellished japanese style).
  • Like in the manner of a Japanese master?
  • When he did that, his wife would say "Say please." My friend divorced her because she said those things.
  • It's difficult isn't it?
  • It doesn't matter how close a European wife is to her husband, they can't stand it when their husband says something like "Yo! Tea!" It is a Japanese sensation to think that "because we are close I shouldn't have to say please." However, no matter how close Europeans are, it is considered extremely rude to say something like "Yo! Gimme that!"
  • One starts to ignore the personality of the other person.
  • Japanese are not bothered by that. That is why there are no husbands that say "Would you please pour me some tea?"
  • Yes, there aren't any are there.
  • Even if you only say "Hey! Tea!" and don't say "please" they understand that the other person has the intention of saying it. But Westerners don't have the custom of understanding things that are not said. For that reason they say "say it."
  • They understand first the meaning of the words.
  • For that reason, sometimes when I am annoyed at home and I say "Gimme that" I end up being told to say "Please." It really pisses me off.
  • You too huh?
  • If it is me, I'd get pissed. Even when you invite some people over to the house, you must be careful about how you word the invitations. Japanese usually write "Please come to my place on x/x/xxxx with your wife" when they want to invite some people over for dinner. When you translate that into English, that is "I invite you." Everybody writes that, but overseas that is not right. You must write "My wife and I." If you write "I invite you" you are ignoring the contribution of your wife who prepares all of the food. Westerners will not allow "I invite you and your wife." If you write that letter, people will think "What kind of person is this guy?" It is really difficult. You have to put your wife first.
  • Didn't you think about things to that detail when you were married?
  • Of course I didn't think about it. For my generation that is almost impossible.